Recently, vehicles are manufactured based on studies conducted to secure driving force using internal combustion engines and/or electric motors, in order to reduce air pollution from exhaust gas of vehicles. Accordingly, the vehicles have evolved in the order of hybrid vehicles, plug-in hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles. In this case, the hybrid vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles have an internal combustion engine, an electric motor and a battery pack, and the electric vehicles have an electric motor and a battery pack, but not an internal combustion engine.
Accordingly, the battery pack has evolved in the order of hybrid vehicles, plug-in hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles. The battery pack is configured to be charged by using an external electrical power from the electric vehicles or an internal electrical power of the electrical vehicles. The battery pack described above includes a battery module including cartridges and battery cells. The cartridges may be sequentially stacked in the battery module. The battery cells are positioned between the cartridges. In this case, the cartridges are configured to fix the battery cells within the battery module and protect the battery cells from external impacts.
Further, the cartridges are configured with cooling fins to cool the battery cells during charging and discharging of the battery cells and configured to facilitate electric connection of the battery cells by using a structural shape. That is, in the battery module mentioned above, the cartridge has various utilization with respect to the battery cells. Accordingly, many studies are conducted with respect to coupling relations the cartridge and neighboring elements for the battery cell. One example of the above studies is disclosed in Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2014-0042059, published on Apr. 7, 2014, titled “Cell Cartridge for Battery Module and Battery Module using the same.”
The battery module has cell cartridges, cells, and heat sinks. The cell cartridges are arranged sequentially in the battery module. The cells are encased in the cell cartridges. The heat sinks are interposed between the cell cartridges. In an example, the cartridges mentioned above have a cushion member formed of a rubber member in a rectangular frame. The cushion member may support an edge of the neighbored cell by partially penetrating an edge of the heat sink and press force on a sealing part of the neighbored cell. That is, the cushion member supports the cell stably on the cartridge against vibration of the cartridge or the battery module caused from external impacts.
However, as the battery module has gradually achieved high capacity, the battery module needed an increasing number of cells and cell cartridges for seating the cells. Accordingly, the cell cartridges increase volume of the battery pack as well as the battery module in response to the development of high-capacity battery modules. Further, such increase in a number of cell cartridges requires repeated use of a screw member for aligning the cell cartridges in the battery module.